Embedding Pose Graph, Enabling 3D Foundation Model Capabilities with a Compact Representation

This paper presents the Embedding Pose Graph (EPG), an innovative method that combines the strengths of foundation models with a simple 3D representation suitable for robotics applications. Addressing the need for efficient spatial understanding in robotics, EPG provides a compact yet powerful approach by attaching foundation model features to the nodes of a pose graph. Unlike traditional methods that rely on bulky data formats like voxel grids or point clouds, EPG is lightweight and scalable. It facilitates a range of robotic tasks, including open-vocabulary querying, disambiguation…